Freddie Frinton was a British actor who is best known for Dinner for One (1963), Comedy Playhouse (1961), and Thicker Than Water (1968). He was born on January 17, 1909, in Grimsby, England, and passed away on October 16, 1968, in London, England.
Personal and Family Life
Freddie Frinton was married twice; his first marriage was to Maisie Basil, with whom he had one child, but they later divorced. He then married Nora Gratton in 1945, and they had four children together. Despite often portraying a drunken character, Frinton was actually a teetotaler. His career began at a young age when he entertained coworkers at a fish processing plant with his humor.
Death and Legacy
Frinton died on October 16, 1968, just three weeks before a planned color re-shoot of his famous sketch, Dinner for One. His work has remained significant in Germany, where Dinner for One is a beloved tradition, screened every New Year’s Eve since the mid-1960s. His unique talent for comedy left a lasting impression on audiences, helping to solidify the sketch’s cult status.
Filmography
| Title | Release Date | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Dinner for One | 1963-06-08 | James |
| Make Mine Mink | 1960-08-09 | Drunk |
| What a Whopper | 1961-10-17 | Gilbert Pinner |
| Forces’ Sweetheart | 1953-11-01 | Aloysius Dimwitty |
| Trouble in the Air | 1948-11-01 | |
| Glückwunsch, Miss Sophie – 50 Jahre „Dinner for one“: Das Erfolgsgeheimnis des Kultsketches | 2013-12-30 | |
| Freddie Frinton und sein Dinner for One | 1988-12-31 | Freddie Frinton (James) |